Speaking in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, Steve Witkoff said, “We are making some progress.”
“I hope it is moving in the right direction. The president wants to see this solved diplomatically if possible, so we’re doing everything we can to get it going.”
The official further indicated that the talks, which began with Omani mediation in Muscat and then in Rome, could be extended for a fourth round, PressTV reported.
The fourth round had initially been scheduled for May 3 in the Italian capital. But, it was postponed.
Witkoff said any delay in the apparent underway push to continue the process would be due to Trump’s upcoming visit to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar next week.
He, however, added that “Iran will not have a nuclear weapon,” an assertion that has been reiterated by the US and its allies for long in contradiction to the Islamic Republic’s repeated avowal not to either pursue, develop, or stockpile such weaponry as per moral and religious imperatives.
Tehran’s peaceful nuclear policy has been verified unexceptionally by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that has never found any indication of such pursuit, as it has put the country’s nuclear activities under the most extensive investigative processes compared to any other member of the United Nations nuclear agency.
Besides sticking to the unsubstantiated claim, Washington and some of its allies have, especially under Trump, been also occasionally insisting on “total dismantlement” of the Iranian nuclear energy program. The insistence was last made by Trump, himself, during comments on the NBC’s “Meet the Press” program.
Iran, however, has outlined enriching uranium on its own soil and removal of the US’s illegal, unilateral, and oppressive sanctions as non-negotiable principles that it would invariably adhere to during the talks.
The Islamic Republic has also roundly rejected the notion of allowing the diplomatic process to take other issues, such as its defensive might and regional influence, into consideration.
Nevertheless, both sides have so far described their talks as generally productive, including the last round, which was billed as a “constructive” process.
MP/
